My first day

I spent the day walking all the way up to R.'s place to see what the neighborhood was like. Very nice, though not obscenely swank; there were some nonwhite people there but most were pushing white kids in strollers. Lots and lots of synagogues and Jewish community centers. I saw a Unitarian church, too. I walked in Central Park for a bit and then dropped in on various apartment buildings to ask the doormen if they knew of any available units. All just referred me to the management companies. In all, I walked about 10 miles today! I got back at around 7pm, lagging behind Christina by only a few minutes.

We just ate a late dinner in the apartment, stuff Christina had in the fridge, and tomorrow I'll go shopping at Whole Foods for more groceries. Christina is encouraging me to have them deliver but I think I'll just walk back with them. Then maybe I'll take the subway to Brooklyn and see what those neighborhoods are like.

A strange thing: in Oakland Airport yesterday, in the departure lounge for my flight, a funny and gregarious African-American guy stopped me and asked me if I play trumpet (I was carrying my case). He was loud and oddly dressed and the kind of guy reserved people steer clear of in public situations and glance at out of the corners of their eyes, but I chatted with him about playing for a few minutes and then we ended the conversation. Today, walking up Broadway, I ran into him again! He remembered me and wrote it up to some kind of divine providence. He was with two friends, a younger girl and a middle-aged, well-to-do-looking guy in a business suit, and when I told them I was looking for an apartment, the business suit guy gave me his number and e-mail. He said he owns rental property but that he wouldn't have anything available for a couple months. Funny story, even if nothing comes of it.